Condiment-stopper



E. J. PALMER.

. CONDIMENT STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4- 1918.

1 328,447. Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI J. PALMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GONDIMENT- STOPPER.

Application filed February 4, 1918.

form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved form of a non-clogging stopper for a condiment holder wherein a condiment container is provided With a perforated cap which is equipped with a movable head having projections adapted to removably engage in said perforations to prevent clogging there of, one of said projections being somewhat longer than the others to afford a guide pin to prevent rotation of the movable head with respect to the perforated cap.

It is an object of this invention to provide a condiment stopper embracing a cap having a passaged sleeve forming a part thereof through which a tapered stem of a top piece projects whereby the opening between the lower end of the sleeve and the tapered stem is larger than the opening between the upper end of the sleeve and the upper enlarged portion of the stem, thus preventing clogging of said sleeve and keeping the top piece in operative condition.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a condiment stopper the cap of which is provided with a tapered guide stem to obviate sticking of the cap.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a cap for a condiment container, said cap having a sleeve provided with a passage, the lower portion of which is of increased diameter, affording a construction whereby a tapered stem of a top piece is prevented from being held against movement in said sleeve by condiment packing in said passage.

It'is a further object of the invention to construct a perforated condiment holder cap wherein integral projections formed on a head movably associated with said cap are adapted to engage in said perforations to keep the same open, and wherein said head is provided with a tapered guide stem to prevent said stem from binding in said cap.

It is furthermore an object of this inven- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Serial No. 215,301.

tion to construct a perforated condiment holder cap wherein integral projections formed on a top piece movably associated with said cap are adapted to engage in said perforations to keep the same open, and wherein a guide pin longer than said projections is adapted to insure registering of said projections with said perforations and also prevent rotation of said top piece.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a condiment holder stopper havingapertures therein kept open by means of pro ections formed on a weighted movable top which is provided with a nonbinding tapered guide stem and which furthermore may be used as an advertising medium.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosure in the drawings and specification.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a condiment holder embodying the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the cap and top piece of the device.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the condiment holder cap removed from the condiment container.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of a spring washer shown in Fig. 4.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates a condiment container of any desired shape, made of light weight metal, glass or porcelain and having an exteriorly threaded neck 2, integrally formed on the upper end thereof. Removably mounted upon said container 1, is a cap 3, made of aluminum or other suitable light weight metal and provided with a threaded portion 4, to permit said cap to be removably threaded upon the neck 2, of the container. Integrally formed or rigidly secured at right angles centrally in the top of the cap is a downwardly or inwardly projecting tube, sleeve or collar 5, provided with a passage 6, in the upper portion thereof, while the lower portion of said sleeve is provided with a passage 7 of enlarged diameter.

The top of the cap 3, is preferably flat and is provided with a plurality of perforations or apertures 8, to permit a condiment from the container 1, to pass outwardly therethrough when the condiment holder is inverted.

Movably mounted upon the top of the cap 3, is a stopper, head or top piece com prising a plate 9, made of aluminum or other suitable material, having an aperture in the center thereof in which is expanded or otherwise rigidly secured the enlarged or upper end of a tapered guide stem or shaft 10, which is disposed at right angles to said plate and has a peripheral groove 11, formed near the lower or reduced end thereof form ing a head 12. Struck outwardly or integrally formed on the under surface of the plate 9, are a plurality of pins, pro ections or detents 13, spaced from one another in the same relation as the apertures 8, in the top of the cap 3. One of the projections 13, however, is removed and in its place an aperture isprovided in said plate 9, in which is expanded or otherwise rigidly secured one end of a guide pin l-i, which is longer 7 than the projections 13, and is disposed at right angles to the under surface of the plate 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 41. Disposed upon the upper surface of the plate 9, is a filler or weight 15, made of lead or other heavy material, the upper surface of which is convex or rounded to permit a convex top plate or disk 16, to rest thereon. To hold the filler weight 15, and the convex plate 16, secured in position, the outer margin of the plate 9, is bent or curled upwardly and inwardly around the peripheral margins of said filler weight and convex plate, to form a peripheral: flange or curled rim 17.

As shown in Fig. 4, the top piece or cover is disposed from the cap 3, with the tapered stem 10, projecting through the sleeve 5, to permit a split spring washer or clip 18, to be lockingly sprung into position on the free end of the stem 10, and engaged in the groove 11, to the inside of the stem head 12, thus aflording a means for limiting the sliding movement of the tapered stem 10, in the sleeve 5. With the top piece associated with the cap 3, as described the guide pin 14, is disposed to project through one of the apertures 8, of said cap and the projections 13, are adapted to register with the remaining apertures 8, which of course are plugged by said projections when the top piece is seated upon the cap 3, as clearly shown in Fig. -l. The guide pin 14, is of a length slightly greater than the space between the free end of the sleeve 5, and the spring washer 18, thereby always registering in' the respective aperture in the cap 3, whether the top piece is seated on said cap orseparated therefrom. In theeeparated position of the top piece, the projections 13 are raised out of the respective apertures 8, to permit a condiment to pass therethrough when the condiment holder is inverted. It will be clearly seen that the guide pin 14, acts to prevent rotation of the top piece and thereby holds said top piece disposed in a certain predetermined relation upon said cap to permit the projections 13, to always register with their respective apertures in said cap to insure closing thereof when the top piece is in normal seated position upon said cap.

The convex disk or plate 16, may have the outer exposed surface thereof engraved or stamped with any desired advertisement or if preferred an advertising or name plate may be secured to said exposed surface of the convex plate.

The weighted filler 15, in the top piece is adapted to act as a means to assist in returning the top piece back into seated engagement upon the cap 3, when the condiment holder is in normal upright position and also acts to cause said top piece to readily fall away from the cap, to open the apertures 8, when the condiment holder is being used and is inverted.

The top piece as described affords an eliicient means for preventing the clogging of the cap apertures 8, for the reason that the weighted top piece or stopper is so arranged that the projections 13, always project into said apertures when the condiment holder is in upright position thus forcing any of the condiment engaged in said apertures inwardly into the container 1. The projections 13, and the guide pin 14, also serve to prevent moisture from entering into the container 1, to dampen the condiment when the condiment holder is not in use.

One of the important features of the device, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, is the construction of the sleeve 5, the enlarged passage 7, of which permits the tapered stem 10, to project therethrough, whereby the space between the lower portion of the inner surface of the sleeve 5, and the reduced free end of the stem 10, is greater than the space afforded between the upper enlarged end of the stem 10, and the upper portion of the inner surface of the sleeve 5. By this novel construction, the stem 10, is prevented from binding or sticking in the sleeve 5, due to the packing of the condiment in the passage surrounding the stem. The space surrounding the lower reduced end of the stem being larger than the space around the upper portion of-the stem permits any condiment which may lodge in the passage 7, to readily fall back into the container 1, thus obviating any tendency of the top piece from becoming inoperative by condiment packing in the passage 7 around the stem 10.

It will, of course, be understood that the stopper device embodying the principles of this invention may be adapted for use on any suitable kind of a container or bottle wherein granulated materials or liquids are carried.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of my invention and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a container, of a cap removably engaged thereon having apertures therein, a sleeve secured therein having a passage therethrough a portion of which is of enlarged diameter, a weighted top movably disposed on said top, pins thereon adapted to normally engage in said apertures to keep the same clean, a tapered stein having a groove therein secured on said top adapted to slidably engage through the passaged sleeve to afford a guide for said top, said tapered stem projects through the enlarged passage of said sleeve affording construction whereby packing of condiment around said stem is obviated, a guide pin on said top longer than said cleaning pins adapted to engage in one of said apertures to insure registration of said cleaning pins with the remaining apertures, and a spring clip removably engaged in said groove adapted to engage said sleeve to limit the outward movement of said weighted top.

2. A device of the class described including a cylindrical cap adapted to be detachably secured to a condiment holder, said cap having perforations in the top thereof, a plate, the peripheral edge of the plate beingbent upwardly to form an annular retaining flange, a weight positioned on said plate, said retaining flange bent inwardly against the weight to retain the same in position, a plurality of depressed portions forming points which are adapted to aline with the perforations in the top of said cap, a grooved tapered stem having one end eX- tending centrally through the plate and rigidly secured thereto, a tube secured to the perforated top of said cap centrally thereof and depending in the cap and adapted to slidably receive the tapered stem to guide the depressed portions of said plate into the perforations of the top of the cap, a pin having one end secured to the plate and depending downwardly therefrom, said pin adapted to be slidably engaged through one of the perforations of the top of the cap, said weight firmly positioning the top in engagement with the cap when the condiment holder is in upright position, and means engaged in the groove of said tapered stem to limit the outward movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELI J. PALMER. Witnesses:

CHARLES lV. HILLS, J r., FRED E. PAESLER. 

